Despite sustaining a painful fractured cheekbone injury in his performance against the All Blacks, Springboks captain Siya Kolisi took the time to greet and hug excited rugby fans at Ellis Park.
The humble gesture came moments after Siya delivered an emotional speech to South Africans about celebrating democracy and remembering those who were not afforded freedom.
The Boks beat New Zealand 31-27 in a nail-biting test match over the weekend. They will play again on 7 September at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town.
SIYA KOLISI GREETS, HUGS FANS DESPITE PAINFUL INJURY
In a heartwarming clip posted on social media, Siya Kolisi is seen spending six minutes walking around Ellis Park, greeting, hugging, and snapping pictures with Springbok fans.
The captain did this despite having a visibly swollen facial injury inflicted by All Blacks captain Sam Cane during a high tackle.
In the clip, Siya also cheered and clapped along with fans, who were left in tears.
@Amza_5: “Siya Kolisi is such a humble man, and he’s so loveable. The people’s captain. Siyamthanda”
@NzwanoJ: “Siyamthanda. The man is loved by the entire of South Africa. Wow!”
@SACTLocal: “What an absolute legend and class act!”
@Parma2mbn: “This is what most of us want for the country…unity, peace, respect, and love.”
ICONIC SPEECH FROM ICONIC CAPTAIN
Speaking at Ellis Park Stadium, where the Springboks beat the All Blacks in the 1995 Rugby World Cup, Siya Kolisi thanked South Africans in the stadium and around the world for their support.
Sporting a bruised and battered face, Siya used an example of homeless people who had waved to their tour bus en route to Ellis Park.
He said, “The people of South Africa are our number one motivation. We represent everyone, and we appreciate you.”
He added: “Please don’t stop when things are tough. We can’t do it without you.”
siya kolisi, springboks, all blacks
Siya Kolisi’s post match speech following the Springboks victory against the All Blacks left many South Africans inspired and emotional. Images via X: @springboks
But Siya Kolisi left South Africans with lumps in their throats when he discussed democracy and its meaning to him.
He said, “It’s 30 years of freedom; I want to say congratulations to South Africans. But we still know there are many people who are still not free. Hopefully, the next celebration we celebrate is the women who are free of Gender-Based Violence.”